


Saturn

by AliceParrilla18



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Fluff, Philinda - Freeform, Philinda Baby, philindaisy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 14,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24411502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceParrilla18/pseuds/AliceParrilla18
Summary: 30 day OTP challenge.A whole month of Phil, Melinda and Daisy (and maybe someone else, too?) being a happy family.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Comments: 74
Kudos: 120





	1. 01. First meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my 30 day OTP challenge with Philinda story! I'll be posting a new chapter each day. Chapters are short, but they're making a whole story, full of fluff and cute family moments with May, Coulson and Daisy.  
> "Saturn" is also a tittle of Sleeping at Last's song, which inspired me to write this. Check it out!  
> English is not my main language, so I'm sorry for mistakes (please, remember that we all write here just for fun). I'll be gratefull for every comment. Hope you'll like it! Enjoy!

"Coulson."

_And then the Captain grabbed his shield harder and run at his opponents. He knocked everyone down easily without even getting tired. They had no chance with him. After all, he has been called the America’s hero for a reason._

"Coulson!"

Phil looked up from the book and realized that his teacher was standing over him, and the rest of the class was watching them in silence. The man shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Didn't you come for the wrong class?" he asked, pointing to the book. "On the mat, now. I won’t be saying this again."

Phil swallowed and set the book aside, then obediently moved to the center of the gym, escorted by the piercing glances of the other students. He didn’t like self-defense classes, especially when they were connected to another class, mosty specialists, but he knew that this was only the beginning of the year, and the grade from these was to have a big impact on the final grade.

He threw off his shoes and climbed onto the mat, looking at his opponent. It was a girl he had never seen before. She was pretty, but very small, so that Phil wondered for a moment if it wasn't _her_ who had mistaken the class. Or an academy, actually.

Her brown eyes were looking at him curiously. She put a strand of dark hair that got out of a ponytail behind her ear and tilted her head slightly, as if trying to judge who she was dealing with. Phil stepped closer and held out his hand to her.

"Hi. I’m Phil, and-"

Before he could finish, the girl grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back with two quick movements, so that he only miraculously managed to stop himself from screaming out in pain. He struggled to push her away, but anticipating his movement, she quickly kicked him sideways, knocking him off his feet. He fell on his back getting out of breath for a moment.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that the girl came over and looked at him with a smirk. "I’m Melinda," she said, tilting her head again like a puppy. "And I don’t like a lot of talking."

"Yeah, apparently," he answered, breathing hard.

She reached her hand out to him to help him up. He took it with a grateful smile, wanting to dull her vigilance. Taking advantage of her inattention, he pulled her hand down, and when she fell on the mat, he jumped on her to prevent her from moving. When the momentary shock disappeared from her face, she looked into his eyes and smiled brightly.

Phil already knew that it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.


	2. 02. First kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! As promised, I'm back with the second chapter. Thank you for your comments, it's means a lot reading all those nice words.  
> Also, 7x01 was just SO good, I loved it. And I'm sure as hell that SpiderMay is gonna hunt me in my dreams for at least a few days xx  
> Hope you'll like this part. Enjoy!

Phil opened the door less than ten seconds after the knock came on.

"Hi, thanks for the invitation. If it wasn't for you and your help, I really don't know how I would pass this exam."

"Hello, May. Come in," he answered, letting the visitor inside.

Melinda put her bag on the floor at the bathroom entrance and walked to the center of the small room, looking around. Noticing the wall all covered with posters and newspaper clippings about Captain America, she looked at Phil raising her eyebrows.

"What?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

The girl shook her head in amusement. "I knew you were nerdy, but not _this_ nerdy. That’s a whole new level of being a nerd, Phil."

"Everyone has a hobby," he said and showed her a place by the table where several open history textbooks were already waiting for them.

"Where’s your roommate? Shaun, right?"

"Yeah. He went out with his friends somewhere. We've got the whole evening to ourselves," he snapped, too late realizing that it sounded a bit out of place.

Their lessons took over two hours, but they were able to repeat all the material that was required for tomorrow's test. They were supposed to read a few more source texts, but seeing that May was getting bored already and further learning was pointless, Coulson suggested to watch a movie. It was a shy proposal, because he thought that after such a long time the girl probably had enough of his presence. So he was surprised when she agreed, but didn’t complain.

The movie wasn't very interesting, or maybe it was, but neither Coulson nor May were focusing on it too much. When the end credits appeared on the screen of the small TV that miraculously fit in the room, none of them moved from the sofa, not really knowing how to behave. They sat in silence for some time, glancing at each other every now and then.

"So," Melinda cleared her throat, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I should propably get going."

"You’re propably right," Phil answered.

They both got up. Melinda smiled slightly and started toward the exit. As she was passing him, Phil caught her hand and gently forced her to turn to him. She was looking at him with her warm brown eyes as he leaned over her. Their faces came close to each other until their lips met halfway.

The kiss was light and sweet, but they both realized that it had started something between them, that would change their lives forever.


	3. 03. First date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, yay! Thank you all for the wonderfull comments. Hope you'll like today's part as well, though it's pretty short. Enjoy!

"Can I open my eyes now?" May asked for the hundredth time as Coulson was leading her to an unspecified place.

"You’re worse than a child. Hold on for one moment more."

"Can’t help it. Patience is not my strong point."

"Oh, I know something about that, believe me," he snorted, and she just rolled her eyes. After a few moments they stopped and Phil let go of her, taking a few steps away. "Alright. You can open your eyes now."

She lowered her hands, which she was covering her face with, and the sight in front of her made her hold her breath. They were in a restaurant Melinda had never been to before. Phil was standing at a table by the window prepared for two, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands and smiling like an idiot.

"Where are we, Phil?" she asked, looking at everything in amazement.

"At the restaurant I used to go to with my mother when I was little. They have delicious Chinese dumplings here. And lasagne."

"I… I don’t know what to say."

"Then don’t say anything."

He walked over to her and handed her the bouquet of red roses, then pushed a chair from the table for her. The waiter approached them a moment after they sat down, collected the order and poured red wine into their glasses. When he was gone, Melinda put the flowers in the vase next to her and looked at Phil, who was watching her with a feeling she couldn't exactly name.

"I can't believe you prepared all of this for me on your birthday. I’m the one who should give you a gift," she said.

He smiled and grabbed her hand. "You don’t have to give me anything," he said. " _You_ are the best gift I could ever get."

Her heart started beating faster.

Suddenly, she knew what the strange feeling was.

Love.


	4. 04. First meeting with parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest star of today's chapter is Lian May (yay!). Thank you for the comments, feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy!

"Come in and don’t make me more angry," May snapped for a greeting, opening the door and letting Coulson inside.

He sat on her bed and watched for a moment as she was bustling around the small room, pulling the tights on her legs in the meanwhile, paying almost no attention to him.

"Will you be comfortable in this dress on our workout session?" he asked, scratching his head. She sighed, standing by the mirror to fix her hairstyle.

"I’m sorry, but we’ll have to postpone it. I’ve got an urgent situation."

"How urgent?"

"Very. My mother is in town. And she wants to see me."

Phil remembered Melinda telling him that her mother was angry with her for choosing S.H.I.E.L.D. instead of the CIA and how their relationship has gotten worse since then, although it have never really been good. Both had strong characters, which often led to serious fights between them.

"Where are you suppoused to meet her?"

"Some Italian restaurant on the outskirts of the city, near the hotel she’s staying in. I don't even know where it is."

"But I think I do. I can go with you, if you want," he proposed.

May snorted. "You don't know what my mother is and, believe me, you don't want to know."

"If she’s anything like you, I can bet she’s a cutie," he grinned and got hit in the face by a pillow. "I’m being serious, though. I’ll go with you. Gonna meet her someday anyway."

For a moment she was looking at him as if he had lost his mind.

An hour later, however, Phil was sitting at a table with Melinda and her mother, and the uncomfortable silence was broken only by the quiet music from the speakers behind the bar and the sound of forks and knives hitting porcelain.

Phil was watching the older woman discreetly, chewing on his spaghetti. Lian May, a former CIA agent, was sitting straight with pride and grace, almost equaling to the queen. Confidence was flashing from her eyes. She looked very much like her daughter, although she was a few centimeters taller than her.

"So, Phil," said the woman, putting away her cutlery after the meal. She wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, then set her aside and reached for a glass of water. "Like my daughter, you’re also in the first year of the academy, right? Tell me, why S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Well, to be honest, I got here thanks to Nick Fury. He was the one to recruit me," he answered.

Melinda was sitting on the edge of her seat, watching the events in silence. Lian nodded approvingly.

"So, you know Nick Fury? What an honor. It’s probably going to bring you many benefits in the future. Speaking of which, what do you intend to do after graduating from the academy?"

" _Māmā,_ " Melinda said, and it crossed Phil’s mind that her cheeks were a little red. "I asked you not to ask Phil about everything."

"Oh, stop it," Lian waved her hand, glancing briefly at her. "I just wanted to know what plans this handsome young man has for my daughter. Because he has to have some, since you brought him here with you."

Melinda covered her face with her hands and shook her head.

Coulson smiled politely and calmly answered her mother's question. This one, and each following, too.

"She doesn’t like me," he said some time later when they were returning to the academy. It was already dark and only streetlights were litting up their path.

"Don't take it personally, she doesn't like anyone. Sometimes I feel that she doesn’t even like me."

"She’s not that bad."

"I don't think you believe what you say yourself," she said. She poked his shoulder. "You’ve met my mother. When am I going to meet yours?" she asked, unconsciously touching a raw nerve.

His eyes suddenly became sad. "Propably never, because my mom’s dead," he answered quietly, avoiding her gaze. "She died when I was ten."

May suddenly grabbed his arm and forced him to stop. Her usual cheerfulness and mischief disappeared from her face, giving way to seriousness. She looked at him with concern. "I didn’t know. I’m so sorry."

"It’s okay, you couldn’t know." She reached for his hand and folded their fingers together. She smiled gently.

"I’m always here for you," she said. "You know that, right?"

He raised her hand and placed a kiss on it.

"I know. Thank you, Melinda."


	5. 05. Getting lost somewhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for your comments, I'm so glad you like the story. Hope you'll like today's part as well. Enjoy!

"I just can't believe that we've failed the first mission in our career. That’s it, we're done. Fury’s gonna demand our heads."

"Hey, it’s not that bad. We can’t be lost _that_ much."

"We’re passing this damn forester's lodge for the third time, Phil!"

Phil looked around, scratching his head. They were in the middle of a forest, with only one cellphone which battery was low. They didn't have a car, their backpacks or more people for support. This was suppoused to be their first alone mission. And though reluctantly, Coulson had to admit that May was right. They were totally lost.

"So what now?" he asked uncertainly. Melinda glared at him.

"I don’t know, figure something out! After all, it was your idea to take a short way!"

After two hours, which seemed to go on forever, they still didn’t come out anything, but they were lucky enough and managed to use what was left of the phone’s battery level. They sent a message asking for help to the headquarters, giving all the characteristic details that could possibly help with finding them.

Waiting for the rescue team, they were sitting on a fallen tree, reaching out toward the fire they had lit. Phil glanced at Melinda, who had been silent for a long time. He passed her the only bottle of water they had with them and sighed when she refused with a shook of her head.

"You’re right, it’s all my fault," he said. "I should have listened to you and follow the original path. I’m sorry."

"Don’t," she replied quietly. "It’s not your fault."

He knew how much this mission meant to her. How much she wanted everything to go as planned. She wanted to show everyone, and above all herself, that she was suitable as an agent and that she managed alone in an organization other than the CIA, where if she had decided, thanks to her mother a place would have been waiting for her right away. And despite her assurances, Phil felt guilty for taking that chance away from her.

"Don't worry about Fury, he won't be angry. And even if he is, I'll explain everything to him and take the blame on me. It’ll be fine, you'll see." She just nodded in response. After a few more minutes, Phil noticed that she was shaking. "Are you cold?"

"Yeah, a little."

He took off his jacket and threw it over her shoulders, then embraced her and gently pushed her closer to him. She snuggled into his chest gratefully.

"Everything’s going to be alright," he repeated and kissed her on top of her head.


	6. 06. Reading together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter is the last one from the 'academy time'. It's very short (When I was choosing this prompt it seemed a lot easier to write, somehow. You guys ever have that feeling, too? Just me? Oh, okay.), but I hope you'll like it anyway.  
> Also, Happy Pride Month to everyone who celebrates! Love you all!

"Oh. My. God."

Standing in front of a huge bookcase filled with comics and books about Captain America, Phil could say that sick leave isn’t so bad actually. Thanks to his broken arm, he now had plenty of time to do everything he wanted.

"Are you going to cry?" asked Melinda, who Phil miraculously managed to get to the library with him. A broken arm was more beneficial than he had ever expected.

"I think so."

"Okay then, I don’t want to watch this. I'm going to look around," she patted him on the shoulder, and then went to another section.

Though he already had a big part of the comics in his collection, Coulson was over the moon. When half an hour later he picked up as many books as only one functional hand would allow him, he began looking for his companion. He found her in the reading section, sitting at one of the desks and leaning over the book.

Phil came closer and looked at her in silence for a moment. Sensing his eyes on her, May lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked. "Surprised that I can read, too?"

"You’re wearing glasses," he said as if he wasn't quite sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. May shrugged unconcernedly.

"And what about it?"

"I’ve known you for a few years now and I had no idea you have reading glasses."

"You don’t know many things about me, yet."

She returned to the book, and Phil accepted it in his mind as a personal challenge to change this fact.


	7. 07. When one of them is ill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I've already told you, today's chapter is taking place much later, around season 3 of the show, so from now on Daisy will take part in the events more often. Hope you'll like it, enjoy!

Coulson looked up from the papers he was now filling when a knock sounded at his office door.

"Come in!"

It was Daisy. She came in and stood in front of his desk. She was silent, biting her lip and playing with her fingers. She looked worried.

"I don't want to disturb, but..." she broke off in half a sentence, as if she couldn't find the right words. Coulson put down the pen he was holding and looked at her closely.

"What happened, Daisy?" he asked.

The girl swallowed. "I think… I think that May’s dying."

"What?" he frowned, suprised. "What do you mean, May’s dying?"

"She looks like she is, but I'm afraid to come closer to her and ask if she's alright."

"Where is she?"

"I last saw her in the kitchen."

The man got up and started going down the hall, now also worried. What could happen that Daisy got so scared?

When he reached the kitchen, he found Melinda standing on her tiptoes and reaching up for her tea from the cupboard. If he wasn't concerned for her health, Coulson would think she looked really cute right now.

"Hey, you alright?" When May turned to him, he understood what was going on right away. "Oh, I guess you’re not."

She was paler than usual, with dark circles under her eyes and a red nose. She had a cold. He knew her well and knew that she was trying not to show that something was wrong at all costs and usually it was working. Cold symptoms were the few she couldn't hide, so that's why the younger agent reacted this way.

He came to her already calmer and reached for tea. She took it from him, sniffing. "I could do it myself," she said, tossing the bag into a cup and pouring boiling water over it. Phil laughed under his breath when she sneezed.

"You’re sick."

"No, I’m not. I’m fine."

"But you don’t look fine. Poor Daisy thought you were dying." He put a hand to her forehead, it was much warmer than it should be. "You have a fever."

"It's nothing, I’m telling you, I’m okay."

"Sure. Go to bed, now."

"Phil…"

"It wasn’t a request, it was an order. But fine, we’ll do it your way."

Taking advantage of her inattention, he quickly grabbed her under her legs and took her in his arms. She was pulling away for a moment, but he held her tight. He carried her all the way to her cabin, where he laid her on the bed. She sat on it furious and watched him searching for a blanket.

"You’re impossible," she said. He raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"More than you?" he replied, and she just rolled her eyes. He handed her a fluffy blanket. "Lie down and cover yourself. I'll go get your tea, I'll be right back."

"I’m not a child."

"Then stop acting like one. You’re sick and you need to rest. Let me take care of you."

She raised her hands in surrender and obediently lay down, burying herself under a warm blanket. He smiled and left.

When he returned with her tea, Melinda was already sound asleep. He set the cup on the bedside table and pulled the blanket tighter on her shoulders. Before leaving, he kissed her gently on the forehead.

He could have sworn that the brunette smiled slightly in her sleep.


	8. 08. Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy AoS day! Can't wait to see SpiderMay again. Enjoy the chapter while waiting!

May searched for Coulson all day, but couldn't find him anywhere. She asked about him almost everyone on the plane, but no one saw him, as if he had disappeared in the air. She also felt that everyone was acting strangely, as if they knew something she didn't know about. She couldn't explain where that feeling was coming from, but she couldn't get rid of it either.

She was walking down the hall so deep in thought that she almost ran into Daisy. The girl smiled widely seeing her. "Oh, May. I’ve been just looking for you."

"Have you seen Coulson somewhere around?" the woman asked. "He must sign some documents Hill had send him."

"No, I don’t know where he is," Daisy answered quickly, then grabbed Melinda's arm. "Come with me."

"Where to?" she was surprised, but the girl didn’t answer and began to drag her along the corridor. "Daisy, what’s going on?" But Daisy was still silent. May rolled her eyes and sighed, letting the younger agent lead her. What was happening to everyone today?

They stopped in the living area, which looked different than usual. The light was dim, candles were placed on the table and shelves, red heart-shaped balloons hunging from the ceiling, and rose petals were scattered on the floor. And in the middle of it all was standing Phil, shyly watching her reaction.

Melinda frowned and turned to Daisy, but the girl was no longer behind her. She looked back at Phil. "What’s all of this?" she asked, circling her hand in the air. "And where have you been all day?"

"I was avoiding you, to make you a suprice," he replied, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world. He walked over to her and handed her the rose he had hidden behind him. "Happy Valentine’s Day, May."

"Oh," Melinda shook her head, not knowing what to say. "Thank you, but you know that I never celebrate this kind of things."

"Then maybe it’s time to change it," he said and took her hands in his. "Maybe it's time to make some changes in our lives. And I'm not talking just about Valentine's Day."

"What do you mean, Phil?" she asked uncertainly, frowning. He put a hand on her cheek and smiled.

"I think you know perfectly." Holding her hand and looking straight into her eyes all the time, he took a small step back, and then knelt on one knee. He took a small black box out of his jacket pocket. When he opened it, May forgot how to breathe for a moment. "I’m terrible at speeches, so I won’t make it long. And I don't think I need to, because we know each other so well that we can communicate without words. After so many years, after all we've been through together, I know that you are the one. My love for you is the only sure thing in my life and I want it to stay that way. I want us to be happy, I want to make you truly happy because that’s what you deserve. Life is not perfect, but it becomes like that when you are with me. I know that the document won’t change anything in our feelings, but I want you to be officially mine and me to be yours. I’m sure you’re going be afraid and I understand it. I’m scared myself, every day. Scared of loosing you and Daisy, my only family, because fate has never been kind to us and probably there is yet much more to come. But maybe that's why we're here now, together. So what do you say, Melinda May? Will you marry me and spend the rest of your life saving the world with me?"

Melinda was staring at the shimmering ring, once belonging to Julie Coulson, Phil’s mother, nearly enchanted. Finally, after a few long moments of silence, she looked at the man who was waiting patiently for her response.

"If you don’t agree, I’ll do it for you!" They both turned their heads back from where Daisy's voice came from. Only now did they realize that she and the rest of their team were watching them all the time. Daisy was moving her feet impatiently, and Jemma began to sob.

May looked at Phil again and smiled gently, and a single tear ran down her cheek. She nodded slightly. "Yes," she said softly, afraid that a louder sound would destroy all the magic of the atmosphere. "Yes, I’ll marry you, Phil."

His face lit up with a wide smile as she said the words he was waiting for. He slipped the ring on her finger, then stood up and kissed her, grabbing her face in his hands. They both haven’t felt this happy in a long time.

They heard joyful cries of the kids behind them. May's heart skipped a beat at the thought that they would soon become a real family.


	9. 09. When one of them is drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday's episode was just insane. May looking at Coulson and feeling nothing at all was the saddest shit I have ever seen. I was crying like a baby.  
> If you feel the same, I hope that today's chapter will cheer you up. Enjoy and let me know what you think about it in the comments!

"Can I get you anything?" asked the bartender. Coulson shook his head and smiled politely.

"No, thank you."

When the bartender left, Phil looked around, trying to see any familiar face in a huge crowd of people dancing to unhealthy loud music. He took the cell phone out of his pants pocket and unlocked the screen to make another attempt to call May. He sighed when it went to the voice mail.

Suddenly he felt the touch of two delicate hands on his shoulders. "Hello there, handsome."

Melinda jumped on the stool next to him and leaned nonchalantly on the counter. Her hair was in a mess and she smelled like alcohol. She looked at him with a gleam in her eyes, smiling widely.

"Hello, beautiful," he answered, smiling back.

"What does a man like you do in a place like this alone?"

"Oh, I’m not alone. I’m waiting for my fiancée, she has her bachelorette party here."

"Really? Your fiancée must be very lucky."

"I’d rather say, that I’m the lucky one." He moved closer and leaned in to kiss her. She tasted like tequila and orange juice. "Where did you lose your companions?"

"The last time I saw them, they were dancing with some guy. Pretty cute one, by the way."

"So I see you’re having fun, then."

"We are, actually. I didn't think it would be that cool."

"I’m glad you enjoyed it. But I think it’s enough for you and the girls," he said. May made a face of a sad puppy. Slightly drunk, but above all _happy_ , she looked beautiful.

"What? It’s not that late, yet," she opposed, though her glaring eyes and the smell of alcohol were confirming Phil’s assumption that she had no idea what time it really was.

"You were suppoused to call me almost two hours ago to pick you up."

"I was? Sorry, I had to lose track of time."

"Not only of time," he laughed under his breath. He stood up, and then grabbed Melinda by the waist to help her get off the stool. She was swaying a lot. "Come on, let’s find Daisy and Jemma and get you all home."

She nodded reluctantly, but obediently let Coulson lead her through the crowd.

When they were outside and Daisy and Jemma were safely sitting in the car, May suddenly threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I love you, my husband-to-be," she said with a drunk smile on her lips. Phil shook his head in amusement, tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and then kissed her back.

"I love you, too, my wife-to-be."


	10. 10. Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's part is very short, sorry for that. It's really cute though, so I hope you'll like it anyway. Enjoy!

Slow music was playing, but they didn’t hear it.

All the guests were watching them with emotions, but they didn't care.

Him in a black suit and her in a white dress. Just as they dreamed of. And as it should have happened a long time ago.

They were dancing slowly, hugging each other and staring at each other, as if they couldn’t see anything around, as if nothing else mattered in the world.

Because, at this moment, it really didn’t.

"I still can’t believe it," without stepping back an inch, Melinda whispered so softly that Phil could hardly heard her.

"In what exactly?" he asked, rocking them gently to the rhythm of the song.

"All of this. That I finally have a family. That I have you. That I'm standing here with you as your wife now. I can't believe how lucky I am. I still think it's just a beautiful dream that I will wake up from." She raised her head slightly to meet his eyes. "I don’t want to wake up, Phil."

"It's not a dream, Melinda. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to prove it to you every day."

He kissed her on top of her head and wrapped his arms around her even more tightly, letting her hide in them like a child. None of them spoke anymore. They didn't have to. They have learned to pass on their thoughts and feelings without using words long ago.

They danced in the middle of the dance floor long after the song ended, knowing that they were just starting a new, truly shared path in their lives.


	11. 11. Near death situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than the previous one, as I promised. It has some action in, to not make the story boring. Thank you for all the coments. Enjoy!

Coulson ran down the hall, bumping in all agents who got in his way. When he finally arrived at the command center and saw that everyone inside, including Daisy, had froze, he felt the little hair on his neck standing up.

"What happened there?" he asked, but his throat was so tight that he did it with great difficulty, almost not recognizing his own voice.

The girl swallowed, looking down. "It was a trap, Coulson. The bomb went off, everything collapsed. Our people were in."

She was saying something else, but her words stopped reaching him for a moment. His brain was working hard, but it couldn't analyze what had just happened.

It couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

"When was the last time she contacted you?" he asked, coming over to the computer where Daisy was sitting. She looked at him with her big eyes, which now seemed completely empty.

"We lost contact with everyone in the building when the bomb…"

"The explosion may have caused radio interference."

"Coulson…"

"Or she just dropped her phone, when she was running away."

He was uttering words like a rifle, but he didn't really know who he was trying to convince. Somewhere deep down inside he knew how little the chance that May had survived was if she had been inside the building during the explosion.

Daisy reached for his hand and squeezed it hard, trying to comfort him and herself, too.

"I’m so, so sorry," she said softly and bit her lip to hold back her tears.

Coulson, however, was barely noticing her presence. He couldn't focus on anything other than newer images of Melinda's body lying somewhere under the rubble that his imagination was showing him.

"That’s impossible," he whispered, completly numb. "I lost her."

They both fell silent. They stood still, and the silence was broken only by the noise in the phone, in which they could hear May's voice just a few moments ago.

It was supposed to be an easy mission, so that’s why he had send her alone in the company of several agents. Get in, take what belonged to them and leave. They both had completed hundreds of such missions before. And yet, all at once, Coulson's world collapsed with the building. And he could do absolutely nothing to prevent it.

Daisy and Phil jumped in place when the phone suddenly made a noise. Daisy opened her eyes hopefully and grabbed the cell phone in her hands.

"Hello?" she spoke. "Can anyone hear me? Hello?"

Coulson could almost hear his own heart beating as he was holding his breath in his lungs and waiting for an answer from the other side.

And then, it finally came. They heard a voice they were afraid of never hearing again.

"Hello? Daisy?"

The girl breathed a sigh of relief, and Phil leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. A huge smile appeared on his face. She survived. She was alive.

"May," Daisy spoke into the phone again. "Where are you? Is everything alright?"

"The bomb went off, they suprised us," Melinda answered. Her voice was quiet, but steady. "Everything went down. I managed to escape at the last moment, but the explosion threw me away for a few meters and I hit my head.”

"Are you hurt?"

"I think I twisted my ankle, while falling. But otherwise I’m alright."

Phil took the phone from Daisy and clenched his fingers on it as if his life was depending on it.

"Melinda?" he said. His voice was trembling from too many emotions.

"Phil?"

"God, I was so worried about you. Stay where you are and don’t move, you propably hit your head pretty bad. We’re sending agents for you, help is on the way."

"Okay, I’ll be waiting."

"Everyting’s gonna be alright, I promise. I love you."

"I love you, too."

This time, when she hung up, he was calm.


	12. 12. In a coma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you're going to really like this chapter, hahah. Enjoy!

"Doctor, how's my husband?" May immediately asked, not even trying to be polite, when she entered the doctor's office. The man in the white coat got up from his desk and approached her.

"The bullet passed through, thanks to which the surgery was a success," he said. "He lost some blood, but the patient's condition is stable. We’re going to keep him in a pharmacological coma for several days, so that his body has time to calmly recover. We’ll be monitoring him all the time. Your husband's life is safe for now."

Melinda let out her breath in relief. That’s all what she really needed to hear. Phil will live. "Can I see him now?"

"Of course, I’ll lead you to his room. Your daughter is waiting for you there." She smiled slightly to herself when the man called Daisy their daughter. It was a nice feeling.

When she was outside the room and saw unconscious Coulson lying on the hospital bed, she felt her heart clench. It was the first time she was seeing him since she had learned that he had got hurt during a mission. He had insisted that she stay in the base this time, because she hadn’t felt well in the last few days. She was blaming herself, however, that she wasn’t there and couldn’t support him when he needed her by his side.

She went inside and saw Daisy napping in the armchair beside the bed. She smiled and walked over to her to fix the blanket that had fallen off her shoulders. The girl twitched at the touch, blinked several times and looked at the woman.

"Hey," she said with a sleepy voice and started to rub her eyes.

"Hey, you," May answered. "Are you alright? Has anyone checked you up already?"

"Yeah, I’ve got a few bruises, but it’s fine. I’m okay."

"Good. I was worried." She squeezed her arm gently and leaned over to kiss her on top of her head. The girl smiled, still sleepy, then pointed with her head at Coulson.

"I should go, leave you two alone," she said.

"No, stay here. You’re exhausted, try to get some sleep."

"Are you sure?" Daisy frowned. "It’s not a problem for me."

"Stay," May repeated. "Please." There was something in her eyes that finally made the girl sit back in the chair. Melinda just didn't want to be alone now.

She sat sat on the bed carefully. She grabbed Phil's hand and squeezed it firmly in hers. It was cool and his face was pale. And although the doctor assured her that he was in no danger, she couldn't stop worrying. Whenever something bad was happening to him, she was wishing that she had the power to swap places with him and could take it all on herself. He didn't deserve any of it.

She moved closer and reached out to stroke his cheek. She took a deep breath. "I’m here," she whispered, moving her finger on his skin. "I’m right next to you and I worry about you. You have to come back to me. You have to fight, because you have people to live for. For Daisy. For me, your wife. And for our unborn baby."

She didn't want to tell him the news this way, but somewhere in her heart she hoped Phil could hear her and that the news of her pregnancy would give him strength to fight. Because he had to fight. Now it wasn't just about him. He was to become a father. They were going to become a real family.

Out of the corner of her eye, Melinda noticed that Daisy, who probably heard her words well, was looking at her in shock.

She leaned over Coulson and kissed his forehead.

"We’re here with you. And we’re waiting for you to come back to us."

As lightly as she could, she put her head on his chest and, not realizing that she was holding her hand to her stomach, she closed her eyes, listening to the steady beating of his heart.


	13. 13. Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Philinda baby is coming very soon, I hope you're excited the same way as I am, hahah. Enjoy today's chapter, guys! Thank you for all the comments, they mean the world to me.

"Hey, May. Do you want to participate in bets? It's your last chance." Simmons asked approaching the brunette sitting on the sofa. From the early morning, she and Fitz were walking all over the plane and collecting bets on the sex of the baby. May sighed and stroked her belly lovigly.

"No, Jemma. I already told you, it doesn’t really matter to me."

"Whatever," the girl shrugged and walked away toward the other agents, pulling Fitz with her. "Bets! We're taking bets for the last half an hour!"

Melinda rolled her eyes in amusement. She leaned more comfortably on Phil, who was sitting next to her. "I knew right away that this whole baby shower thing was a bad idea," she said.

"Yeah," Phil only answered. She frowned and turned her head to look at him.

"You’re not going to tell me you took part in it, are you?" He just scratched his head, wondering what to say. She shook her head in disbelief. "You really put money in a bet on our child's sex?"

"Yeah…"

"I just can’t believe it."

"What? Everyone bet today."

"You’ll loose anyway," said Daisy, who was just passing by, dragging the blue and pink balloons behind her. Coulson pointed a finger in her direction.

"No, I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna be a boy. My male instinct is telling me that."

"Well, your ‘male instinct’ is wrong. It’s going to be a girl, _I’m_ telling you."

"We’ll see about that, young lady."

May rolled her eyes again, deciding not to get into the discussion.

About half an hour later the party began and the great moment came. Daisy, Jemma, Fitz, Elena and Mack gathered in the kitchen, where Melinda and Phil were about to cut the cake and discover the sex of the unborn new family member. The cake was decorated in white and nobody knew what was inside.

Phil handed May a knife, letting her do the honors. Biting her lower lip, she cut the piece and slid the cake scoop underneath to make it easier to pull out. She waited a few seconds, enjoying the satisfaction of keeping everyone in suspense. When she finally lifted the piece up, a group "Oooh" sounded in the room.

"Pink. We’re going to have a daughter," she said turning to Coulson. He smiled brightly and hugged her tight, putting his hand on her stomach.

"Told you it’s a girl," Daisy said, approaching them and winking at Coulson. She threw her arms around their necks and hugged them, too. "Congratulations, guys. Can’t wait to meet my baby sister."

"Hey," Elena spoke. "Have you chosen the name yet?"

"We haven't, we're still thinking about it," May replied, starting to cut the rest of the cake into pieces and putting them on the paper plates.

"We’ll name her Melinda Junior," Phil announced and reached for the sugar cake decoration. May snorted as he tossed it into his mouth.

"We’re not naming our child Melinda, Phil."

"Why not? It’s a beautiful name."

"Yeah, _my_ name. It would be weird if there were two Melindas. You would never know which one someone’s talking about."

"I don’t know. I still think it’s a good idea."

"Keep thinking, then," she said and spread some cream on his nose with her finger. He returned the favor by touching her nose with his dirty one. She laughed and he kissed her with a smile.

"I’ll work on that."


	14. 14. Buying a house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's welcome Philinda baby to the world! Enjoy!

"Come here, May! You need to see this bedroom, it’s great!"

It was the fifth house she and Phil saw that day, and Melinda could barely stand. A huge pregnant belly and swollen ankles weren’t helping in moving, too. Ignoring Phil's call, she sat on the very comfortable looking couch and sighed heavily.

"May?" Coulson called again from the stairs. "Are you alright?"

"I’m fine," she answered. "Just got a little tired."

Phil ran down to the living room. He sat next to her on the couch and grabbed her hand in his. "We can leave already, if you want to."

She shook her head. "No, we need to choose something."

"We don’t have to do this today, though. You can’t take too much on yourself, you know that."

"I know, but the delivery is in two weeks, Phil." She put a hand on her stomach protectively. She smiled when she felt a gentle kick. "And I don’t want to give birth on the damn plane. Our child deserve decent conditions to be born."

"And it’ll have them," Coulson assured, smiling reassuringly. "No matter where, you’ll always have me and Jemma by your side. You can handle it regardless of the surroundings."

"I just want our child to have a real home."

"I know that," he said and joined their hands on her stomach. "But remember that home is not just a place. It’s also the people you surround yourself with. And our little baby girl will have plenty of people around her."

"You’re propably right," she sighed.

"Of course I am." At the same moment, the baby kicked slightly again. Phil poked Melinda’s belly gently with his finger. "See? She agrees." May just laughed and kissed him.

On the same day they agreed with the estate agent to sign a contract to buy the house they were visiting last, for another week.

Melissa Lian May-Coulson was born a week before the delivery date and just one day before buying the house, on the board of Zephyr One, eleven thousand meters above the ground.


	15. 15. Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy AoS day! Also, we're halfway through, guys. Can't believe it's going on so fast. Thank you to everyone who's reading and leaving comments. Love you all!   
> [Info : My knowledge of May's condition in this chapter is based mostly on my research from the internet. I'm not a specialist on this field, so forgive me if something doesn't feel right. I decided to add it to the story to keep it interesting, nothing more. I know that you'll propably understand what I meant, but just had a feeling I need to make it clear.]

Everyone was so busy with the arrival of a new family member, that when the doctor made the diagnosis, it surprised them all.

Postpartum depression was something new to them, that none of them had ever dealt with before. Even Jemma couldn't help them enough.

Each new day was differed from the previous one and seemed to throw new logs at their feet. Melinda's range of moods grew wider. She was eating little. She was quiet and sad all the time, as if someone had drained all the life from her. She didn't care what was happening to her or her family. There were days she didn't even seem to notice the baby's presence. She was erupting with anger and then weeping a few minutes later. Some days she didn’t leave the bedroom all day. She hardly spoke to anyone at all.

Phil knew it was a disease that would pass eventually, but his heart was breaking when he was watching her like this and couldn't help her. He was doing his best to take care of Melinda and their newborn daughter, and sometimes thought that he couldn't do it. However, he was not alone, he could always count on the support of Daisy, Jemma and the rest of the team. They were all in this together and doing everything in their power to help, and that little Melissa suffered as little as possible from the situation they found themselves in. That was the most important thing.

In the middle of all of this mess there were also better days. The first Christmas Eve in their new home was one of them. Melinda was more lively than usual and even managed to eat a normal meal. And when she heard Melissa cry, she took her in her arms and rocked her until the baby calmed down.

"Coulson?"

"Hm?" Phil shook his head. He looked away from Melinda hanging decorations on the Christmas tree in the living room with Melissa in her arms, and moved his gaze back to Daisy, who was sitting by the kitchen counter. "Did you say something?"

"Yes, I asked what are you cooking, cause it smells wonderful," she repeated, tilting her head.

"I'm preparing a few things for tomorrow's Christmas morning," he replied briefly. He looked at May again. She was speaking to Melissa quietly and showing her more baubles. The girl was pulling her fists towards them, clearly interested.

Daisy looked at them too and sighed. "She’s doing better," she said. He smiled sadly to himself.

"Today, yes. But you weren’t here yesterday."

"I know. But May is strong and she has us." She paused for a moment. "She’s going to be alright, Coulson."

He would like to be as sure as she was. He sighed heavily and put a hand on Daisy's shoulder without taking his eyes off his wife and daughter. "I hope so."


	16. 16. Playing board games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like yesterday's episode guys? I loved Jemma and Coulson's undercover mission very much, but I'm also so sad for May. Poor baby's having pannic attacks now and Phil's not there to comfort her. I hate it here :)  
> Today's chapter is taking place a few years (five, maybe six) after Melissa's birth. Really hope you'll like it, enjoy!

"Good morning," said Coulson, still sleepy, entering the dining room. May smiled as he came over to kiss her.

"Morning."

"Hello, daddy," Melissa answered, not taking her eyes off the cards in her hands.

Coulson kissed his daughter on top of her head. "What are my princesses doing up so early?" he asked. 

Melinda and Melissa exchanged mysterious glances. May looked around and leaned over to Coulson, as if she was about to reveal to him the most-kept secret in the world.

"There was a monster under Meilin’s bed," she said seriously. The man opened his mouth theatrically.

"No way!"

"It was really there. But together we got rid of it!" the girl shouted happily, forgetting about her cards for a moment. Remembering them, she quickly focused again.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. But I can’t go back to sleep until we’re sure it’s not going to return under my bed."

"So we decided to play Uno for a while," Melinda added, and pushed the other chair away from the table with her foot. "You can play with us if you want." Phil sat down and winked at her. He rubbed his two-day beard, wondering.

"What is the winner getting?" he asked.

"There’s the last piece of Meilin’s birthday cake in the fridge. The winner can eat it all by themself. Is that okay?"

"Oh, yes!" Melissa clapped her hands excitedly, and completely forgetting the current game, she drew all the cards to shuffle them and start a new one. She smiled to herself, dealing seven cards to everyone. "That piece is already mine."

Coulson nudged her gently under the table. "I wouldn’t be so sure about that."

"We’ll see."

"Alright then, let the best win."

Melinda shook her head in amusement and laughed, feeling her heart grow. She has never been more happy in her life.


	17. 17. Cooking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

"I’m home!"

Three women bustling around in the kitchen suddenly froze - Melinda and Melissa with their hands in dough, Daisy mixing the filling in a bowl. They all exchanged worried looks saying "What now?" Daisy set the bowl aside and quickly washed her hands in the kitchen sink.

"I’ll take care of it," she whispered, and then left the room. Melinda and Melissa could hear her greet Phil in the hall. "Hey, Coulson."

"Daisy. Hey, May didn’t tell me you were going to visit us today."

"I just missed you, guys. She probably forgot to tell you."

"You’re propably right. Where is she, by the way? I bought the cough medicine for Meilin she was asking for."

"Uhm, she's with her. Both are busy and wanted not to disturb them."

"But she needs to see if the medicine…"

"I’m sure it’s good. Here, you can show it to me."

"Since when do you know so much about medicines for children?"

"Since today. Come on, let’s see together."

Little by little the voices died down, and Melinda and Melissa breathed a sigh of relief.

"It was close," the girl sighed.

"Very close. Fortunately, the cake is almost ready." May picked up Daisy's bowl and poured the filling from it onto the cake and then put it all in the oven. "Done!"

"Yay!" Melissa jumped in place. She covered her mouth with her hand when she started coughing. Melinda patted her gently on the back.

"Let's clean up the kitchen and go to daddy for this medicine. You can't be sick, you have to give him a gift for Father's Day."

The girl nodded her head. "Okay."

"Good. Let’s start cleaning up this mess."


	18. 18. Disneyland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's all agree that May is a fan of Star Wars just like Ming is, hahah. Enjoy today's chapter guys!

"Can I go there?"

"No, honey. You’re still too small for that roller coaster."

"What about that one?"

"That one is too fast. You would vomit like a cat afterwards." Melinda knealt down in front of the not so happy Melissa and put a lock of hair behind her ear. "How about a Star Wars zone, huh? I heard that you can buy the truest lightsaber there," she suggested. The girl winced and shook her head.

"Nah," she said and walked away. Melinda shook her head as she stood up.

"I can’t believe she’s really my child."

"Why? Because she doesn't like Star Wars just like you do?" Coulson asked, surprised. "You know, she may like whatever she wants."

"Yes, but she should have got the gene of love for Star Wars from me." She shrugged. "Maybe someone swapped her when we weren’t looking."

Before they could start walking again, Melissa ran to them and grabbed Phil's hand. She pointed at the booth with stuffed animals to win.

"There is a huge, pink unicorn I've always dreamed of, but you have to shoot down all the cans to win it," she said excitedly and looked at the man with her puppy's eyes. ’"Can you win it for me, daddy? Pretty please."

"Don’t worry, dear," he answered, smiling. "Your dad can shoot things very well. The unicorn is yours already."

All three of them came over to the booth. Phil paid a young girl and grabbed a toy gun to shoot down a pile of cans, and Melissa held her breath as if her life depended on winning it. Thanks to two accurate shots, all cans fell to the ground.

The girl screamed with joy. "You did it!"

"Told you," Phil winked at his daughter, handing her the pink unicorn, which was almost as big as her. She grinned and put her little arms around it.

"Thank you, daddy."

"Phil!" Melinda called and pointed to another booth. She looked at him with the same puppy eyes that Melissa had used a few moments ago. "Can you see that plush Baby Yoda over there? I want it."

Without waiting for his answer, she grabbed the girl's hand and began to walk towards the second booth. Phil shook his head in amusement and followed them with a smile.

"Anything for my princesses."


	19. 19. New pet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's welcome another member in Philindaisylissa (lol I don't know how to connect all of their names in one, if you have a better idea please let me know!) family. Enjoy!

When they entered the shelter, they were greeted by the sounds of barking, rattling, and all the other sounds that animals could make. After explaining more or less what they were looking for, the volunteer led them to the right place. There was a whole row of pens, and in each of them at least two dogs. Different sizes, colors and races, each was different but all of them were barking joyfully at the sight of people.

They thanked the volunteer and started looking at the dogs closely. Melissa was running from pen to pen with excitement. She was praising each next animal in a different way and it was immediately obvious that she won’t be able to choose.

"Can’t we just take them all?" she asked.

"Even if we really wanted to, we can't give a good home to them all, Meilin," Coulson replied, leaning over to pet a puppy. "Maybe in some time we’ll decide to get more animals, but for now let's start with one, okay?"

The girl nodded reluctantly and walked away. Coulson looked around and approached Melinda, who had moved away from them a few moments ago.

"Do you like any of them?" he asked.

May nodded forward, not looking at him. "We’re taking this one," she said suddenly.

Phil looked into the pen. It seemed empty at first glance, but after a moment he noticed an animal sitting in a corner. It had a dark fur and it was almost blending with the color of the wall. The dog was big, a bit like a German Shepherd. There was nothing special about it.

"Why this one?"

"It's big, so it will protect our daughter. Also, look at its eyes. Compared to the others, it seems to have completely lost the hope that someone will take it in."

After a closer look, the man agreed with his wife. Unlike others, the dog was sitting still, not wagging its tail. It was watching them curiously, but its eyes were sad. It seemed to made peace with its fate a long time ago.

"We’re taking this one," Melinda reapeated.

"I love him!" squeaked Melissa, who suddenly appeared next to them. Phil smiled.

"Alright, then. I’ll tell that man that we’ve chosen already."

After completing all formalities, Rogers, because that was the name the dog got, officially became a new member of the family.


	20. 20. Holidays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy guys!

"Mommy, why can’t we take Rogers with us?"

Melinda sighed heavily, hearing the same question for the hundredth time this morning. She picked up the girl and put her in a car seat.

"I told you already, little one," she answered, trying to calm down, and fastened the child's belt. "Rogers is too big for such a long car journey. Besides, we don't know if we can go to the beach with the dog in the place we're going to."

"But he’s going to miss us," Melissa didn’t give up.

"Daisy promised to visit him every day, remember? He will have company. It's only a few days, honey, he'll be fine."

The girl didn’t look convinced. She made a grumpy face, and it seemed like only a moment was separating her from bursting into tears.

"Are you ready, girls?" Phil asked as he sat in the driver’s seat. Melinda patted her pants pockets and cursed under her breath.

"I left my phone in the kitchen," she said. "I’ll be right back."

She quickly took her phone from the kitchen table and left the house, checking twice if she closed the door. When she got into the car, she made sure for the last time that they had taken everything with them, and then they set off. The navigation showed that they would arrive in less than four hours.

"Mommy, I’m thirsty," Melissa said after an hour.

Melinda pulled a bottle of water out from the locker and turned to hand it to her daughter. Her eyes opened wide when she saw who was sitting next to her. Rogers was looking at her curiously and wagging his tail cheerfully. May frowned.

"What is he doing here?" she asked.

The girl just shrugged her shoulders with the innocent face, and with sudden curiosity began to look at the bottle, as if she saw it for the first time. Melinda turned to Phil, but he also seemed completely focused on the road ahead. She hit him on the shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For you both not listening to me."

"I didn't even see when he jumped into the car," Phil said, raising one hand in a defensive gesture. He couldn't hide the gentle smile, though. It was his doing.

"Me neither, really," Melissa added. Melinda just rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. The corner of her mouth rose slightly upwards. She couldn't be angry at them for long.

In the late afternoon of the same day, when they arrived and unpacked in the small wooden house they had rented, they changed into swimsuits and went to the beach, where, fortunately for them, dogs were allowed. Melissa was seeing the ocean for the first time in her life and bursting with joy and energy. She was laughing loudly running along the shore with Rogers at her side. Melinda's heart seemed to grow at the sight.

Lying on the blanket they had laid out on the sand, Phil put his hand under his head and looked at Melinda, who was looking at their playing daughter with a smile.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

May thought for a moment. She was really happy. "About how this here is so much better than your Tahiti."

Phil sat up and laughed out loud. He moved to Melinda and pulled her close to him, kissing her on top of her head.

"You’re absolutely right."


	21. 21. Picniking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Philindaisylissa (still haven't found a better name lol) feels! Enjoy!

"Mommy, can I ask you something?"

Melinda looked up from the book and looked at her daughter, who was lying on her stomach and drawing. It was quiet and peaceful in the place where they had spread their blanket, and the sun was warming their skin.

"Of course you can," the brunette answered, putting the book aside. "What’s that?"

"Why do you have only one name?" asked the girl without taking her eyes off of the piece of paper in front of her. Melinda frowned.

"I have two names, Melinda and Qiaolian. A lot of people have two names, honey. Your middle name is Lian, you got it after your grandmother. Daisy chose her middle name to be Julie, after your other grandma."

"No," Melissa laughed under her breath and reached for the pink crayon, still focused on the drawing. "I have more than two names."

Melinda straightened up, surprised. She looked at her daughter closely. "What do you mean, baby?"

"Sometimes you call me Melissa, dad calls me Meilin, Daisy calls me Liss, and aunt Jemma and uncle Fitz call me Lin. That's more than two."

May shook her head slightly, surprised. She leaned forward and tucked a strand of hair behind the girl's ear.

"Your names are Melissa and Lian. Others are just shorter versions of it, used by the people around you. They do this affectionately, to show you that you’re important to them. Do you understand?"

The girl nodded thoughtfully, accepting a serious expression, and then started drawing again. "I think so," she answered.

"Good, because Daisy just came to play with you."

Melissa jumped up at her feet and ran toward her older sister with a big smile on her face. Melinda smiled at her child's laughter in the distance as Daisy took her in her arms and began to tickle her.

"We've got sandwiches, muffins, a few bananas and orange juice," Phil said, placing a large picnic basket on the blanket. Melinda sighed.

"We have to stop cutting Melissa's name, Phil," she said. Coulson frowned, just like she did a moment ago, and sat down next to her.

"What? Why?"

"Our daughter thinks that every version of her name is her next name. She just told me that a moment ago."

"I didn't know it was a problem."

"It is, apparently."

"I told you we should’ve named her Melinda."

"And what, you think that would solve the problem?"

"Maybe it wouldn’t," he admitted, gently pulling her close to him. "But I love it."

She snorted with amusement. "You love everything related to me."

"True."

Phil put his arm around Melinda and let her lean comfortably on him. They kissed and then stared at their playing daughters, who were the whole world to them.


	22. 22. Ice skating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy AoS day, guys! Enjoy more of May/Daisy relationship in today's chapter while waiting for the episode!

While Phil and Melissa went to rent skates, Melinda and Daisy headed for the cafe next to the ice rink. They went inside and took a seat by the window so that they had a good view at the ring.

"You know, I know Coulson is multi-talented, but I really think you’re the one who should teach Liss to skate. You're the proffesional after all," Daisy said, taking a sip of her hot chocolate with a huge amount of whipped cream and M&M's. Melinda wrapped her hands around a cup of steaming green tea to warm her frozen fingers.

"Phil insisted on doing it himself and asking for my help only when it was really needed," she replied, snorting softly under her breath.

"It won’t end well," the girl shook her head and stirred the metal straw in the mug. "Hey, almost forgot to tell you. Robin called me yesterday."

May looked at her curiously. "Really? How is she?"

"She’s good. She told me that she’s the best of art in her class. She asked about you, I think she misses you."

"I miss her, too," Melinda said, feeling a light stab in her heart. "I was going to call her several times, but always put it off because there was something more important to do. God, what kind of mother am I?"

"A good one," said Daisy, smiling warmly. "You’re the best mother all three of us could ever dream of. And Robin is not alone, she has Polly. And she’s in touch with us all the time. You’re not failing her."

"I don’t know," the brunette sighed. "I can’t even remember the last time she visited us."

"I think it was soon after Liss's birth," Daisy said softly and glanced at her carefully, as if afraid of her reaction to these words.

Melinda opened her mouth slightly and then winced, looking down at her hands. A few months period just after her daughter's birth was one of the many she wanted to forget. And although she knew it wasn't her fault that she had fallen ill, she still felt guilty. Therefore, she was trying not to think about it and avoid the topic like fire. Fortunately, her loved ones understood this and were supporting her as best they could all the time.

"I hope she’s not angry with me," she said. Daisy grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly.

"I’m sure that, even if she is, she’ll forget that as soon as she sees you."

Melinda tilted her head slightly to the side, thinking for a moment. "That’s a pretty good idea, actually. Christmas is soon, maybe we could invite Robin and Polly for Christmas dinner. Meilin would finally meet her another sister."

"Yeah, that would be nice. They’ll be happy to spent some time with you. And the more people on Christmas, the better. You’ll have to buy a larger tree to make room for all the presents."

May laughed and took a sip of her tea. She looked out of the window just in time to see Phil wobble and fall back on the ice. Melissa, who was riding around him like a professional skater, was laughing out loud when he couldn't get up.

"I see that the moment when my help is needed has just arrived," she said and got up to put on her jacket. "I’ll be right back."

"Go and save him!"

Melinda left the cafe and quickly rented a pair of skates. She drove up to her husband and daughter and had to cover her mouth with her hand to not start laughing, too.

"What?" Phil grimaced, massaging his back. "It’s not funny."

"You have no idea how much it actually is."

She reached out to him and helped him up. Phil rolled his eyes when he noticed Daisy taking pictures of him with her phone through the cafe window. As he dusted off the snow from his clothes, Melissa touched his arm.

"Catch us, daddy!" she screamed and run away towards the other end of the ice rink. Before he could react, Melinda turned quickly and ran after her daughter, with a big smile on her lips.

"Hey! That’s not fair!"


	23. 23. Cosplaying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, 7x04 was SO good, I loved every second of it. I missed May/Daisy moments as always, but I'm glad we got to see more of May/Simmons and Yo-Yo. I'm very excited about May feeling other people's emotions and I want to know more! Also, I just KNEW that May was going to be the first person Coulson sees back in colour, and I was right! I just loved this episode, season 7 is one of my favourites by now. Enjoy the chapter, guys!

Melinda knocked on her daughter's door and opened it slightly, looking inside. "Dinner is almost ready. Come downstairs in five minuts, alright?"

"Okay," the girl just muttered under her breath and nodded. She was lying on her stomach on her large bed, staring at the object in front of her. May came over and sat on the bed next to her daughter, curious.

"What do you have here, baby?" she asked. Melissa moved the item closer to Melinda so that she could see it, too.

"Your old photo album," she replied, flipping through the pages. "Daddy let me watch it."

May looked at the album and shook her head in disbelief. She had no idea that Phil was still holding the photos of their youth somewhere. With each next page and each next photo, memories were coming back to life in her mind, bringing a smile to her lips.

"He did, huh? Well, well. Do you like it?"

"Very much!" Melissa turned the next few pages. "Who’s that?" she asked, pointing to a photograph of a young boy dressed up as Frankenstein.

Melinda chuckled under her breath. "That’s your dad."

"No way!"

"That’s him, really. It was our first Halloween spent together since we met," she said. Melissa pointed to the next photo of a girl dressed up as a Wicked Witch.

"Is that you, mommy?"

"Yes! I remember everyone being afraid of me then, even your dad." She laughed softly at the memory of Phil's terrified face when they met at the Halloween party at the academy.

The girl tilted her head, staring at the picture. "I think you looked cute."

"Why, thank you, honey. Speaking of which, I hope you’ll wear your Leia Organa's outfit for tomorrow's collection of sweets with Daisy and Jemma?"

"Mommy, I was Leia last year. I can't be the same character several times in a row."

"Why not? Any time is good to be Leia Organa," Melinda shrugged. "Alright, so who do you want to be this year?" she asked.

"I was thinking about Mulan," Melissa announced. May pretended to think for a moment, and then nodded.

"I can work with that." She kissed her daughter on top of her head, got up from the bed and headed for the door. "I’m waiting for you in the kitchen. Just remember to wash your hands."

"Okay, mommy."

When May left the room, Melissa quickly went back to the photo she was looking at the beginning. Her parents were there, much younger than now. They were standing next to each other, hugging and smiling widely.

Later that day, when Melinda was putting her daughter to sleep, she saw a black and white photo standing on the bedside cabinet next to Melissa's bed. "Does daddy know that you took the photo out from the album?" she asked. The girl shook her head and closed her eyes, cuddling up with the sheets.

"Not yet," she answered with a sleepy voice. "But I liked it very much. I hope you will always be as happy as in this photo."

May smiled, feeling the warmth spread through her heart.


	24. 24. Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter today. Enjoy!

Melinda rolled over on the other side and opened her eyelids slightly, not yet fully awake. She didn't know what time it was. The sun's rays were getting through the large windows to the bedroom and warming her skin pleasantly.

When she opened her eyes wider, she saw the reason why she woke up at all, in front of her. Beside the bed she was lying on, her husband and daughter were standing, watching her with smiles. The woman returned the gesture uncertainly.

"Hello, mommy," Melissa greeted her, clearly excited. She kept her hands behind her, hiding something.

May rubbed her eyes, wiping away the rest of her sleep, and rose slightly on her elbows. "Hello, baby," she answered. The girl jumped on the bed. She handed May a card she was hiding behind her back, and then threw her small arms around her neck.

"Happy birthday!"

"Oh, you remembered." She hugged her daughter tightly, kissing her on the cheek. She looked at the card, which had a drawing of her and the inscription "I love you, mommy!" on it. "It’s so beautiful. Thank you, sweetheart."

"Daddy has a gift for you, too."

"He has?" she asked, looking at Coulson. It was only now that she noticed that he was also holding something behind his back. He sat on the bed in front of Melinda and pulled out a huge bouquet of her favorite purple roses.

"Happy birthday, my darling," he said, handing her a bouquet.

May hid her face in the flowers, enjoying the sweet scent. She smiled, looking at her family with love. "Thank you both, you’re amazing. I love you."

"We love you, too."

Melissa moved closer and cuddled to the brunette’s side, and Phil put his arm around his girls. He put a hand on Melinda's cheek and looked at her in the way that always made her feel butterflies in her belly. Their lips joined in a sweet kiss. They didn't need more words.

It was the best birthday May had had in many, many years.


	25. 25. Holding hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little bit emotional, but I hope you'll like it. Enjoy!

It was after midnight when Coulson finished completing the documents Daisy had given him earlier and put the thick briefcase in the desk drawer. He went quickly to the bathroom to change into his pajamas and, without turning the light on, went to the bedroom, where he slipped under the sheets next to the already sleeping May. He kissed her on the cheek, then settled on the pillow and closed his eyes.

However, before he could drift into the sleep realm for good, he noticed that May began to wriggle on the bed. He opened his eyes and looked at her to see if she was alright. She was still asleep, but her face, lit by the pale moonlight, was strained. She was frowning and murmuring something softly under her breath. Her movements were sudden and becoming more rapid. She was having a nightmare.

Phil wondered for a moment what he should do. It didn't seem like that nightmare was as terrible as the ones that had been bothering her before, but apparently it wasn't pleasant either. He didn't want to wake her, because he knew Melinda had to do it by herself. If he tried to bring her back to reality, she could start screaming, and Melissa, who was extremely hard for them to put to sleep that day, was in the room behind the wall.

Phil sighed. She hadn’t had nightmares for so long that he thought she had managed to get rid of them completely. Apparently, he was wrong. His heart was cracking as he watched the bad dream causing her distress. He remembered all these way too many times when he heard her screams in the middle of the night and felt so powerless unable to help her, just like now. Her nightmares were mostly the worst after…

_Oh. Oh, God._

Coulson felt the blood drain from his face.

 _Bahrain_. Today was the anniversary of _Bahrain_.

Throughout the day he was so busy with documents from Daisy that he completely ignored the date, paradoxically, because he wrote it on almost every page next to his signature. Melinda also acted normally. And yet, she just had to keep up appearances and suffer inside, because Bahrain was something she would never forget and nothing in the world could change that. And nightmares were the result, the only thing she couldn't control in her life.

He let her carry that weight all day completely _alone_.

Phil wanted to kick himself with all his might. How could he forget something that forever changed not only May's life, but also his own?

He moved with his pillow closer to her, lay down, put his arm around her, and with his other hand took hers and squeezed it tightly, wanting to let her know that he was right next to her to support her. That she is not alone in this fight. " _I'm sorry_ ," he whispered.

After some time, Phil did not know exactly how long it was, May didn’t wake up, but calmed down and stopped moving rapidly on the bed, and her face relaxed. He breathed a sigh of relief, kissed her on top of her head and brought her small body even closer to him. He closed his eyes, breathing in her sweet vanilla scent.

Before he fell asleep, he felt Melinda squeeze his hand back.


	26. 26. Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a very important exam in school tommorow, so wish me luck, guys. I'm so stressed skskssshsks  
> Enjoy today's chapter, hope you'll like it!

On Saturday evening, Melinda, Phil and Melissa were sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching TV. Melissa was sitting cross-legged, staring at the cartoon and eating warm popcorn while Phil was reading a book and Melinda checking the messages on her phone.

After a while, the woman put the phone down on the coffee table and stretched her back, yawning. "Alright, I'm going to take a shower," she said, getting up from the couch and tousling her daughter's hair on the way. "Better finish your popcorn, because you're next in line."

"Okay," the girl answered, putting several grains into her mouth at once.

Melinda shook her head in amusement, and then headed upstairs. The shower she took was slightly longer than planned. She just couldn’t resist the warm water, which pleasantly warmed her skin and relaxed after the day. When she finished, she threw a bathrobe on her pajamas and went to the stairs.

"Meilin, it’s shower time!" she called, leaning out. Silence was the only answer she got. "Sweetheart?" Without getting the answer again, May frowned and went downstairs to look for her child.

The light in the living room was dim. The TV was off and the speakers were playing quiet, calm music. The table, on which two plates with steaming food and glasses appeared out of nowhere, was decorated with rose petals and candles.

"How do you like it?" asked Phil, who suddenly appeared behind her. Melinda turned to him, surprised.

"Phil, what’s this?"

"Don’t tell me you thought I’ll forget," he said, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her closer. He put a sweet kiss on her lips and smiled. "Happy wedding anniversary, Melinda."

May looked again at the table and only now noticed that there was a bottle standing on it, the bottle she knew so well. She smiled to herself. Haig. Of course.

"Happy anniversary to you, too," she answered and kissed him. She looked around. "But where is our daughter, Phil?"

"Daisy is taking care of her. She’ll bring her home tomorrow morning, which means we have all night to ourselves."

"So Daisy is involved in this too?"

"Kind of," he winked and she laughed at him. Their lips joined again, and they only pulled apart only when they ran out of air. Neither of them wanted to go to sleep anymore.

"So," May began, unbuttoning Coulson's shirt. She nodded toward the table and bit her lower lip charmingly, knowing it was driving him crazy. "You wanna eat, or…"

"I think I want to do something else now," he answered, moving closer to her so that only the material of their clothes was separating them. Their hearts and breaths sped up as they sucked on each other again.

They didn't make it to the bedroom.


	27. 27. Argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your comments and kind words. I'm not 100% happy with my exam, I know I messed something up, but hope the rest of it is good. Thank you again!  
> Today's chapter is a little angsty (sorry not sorry lol), but it's quite long, so I hope you'll forgive me for this. It's going to be continuated in the next chapter. Enjoy!

"Hey, Melinda?" Coulson spoke walking into the kitchen. He was frowning at the stack of paper he was holding in his hand.

"Yes?"

"What’s this?" he asked, turning the pages so that May could see them. The woman glanced at them briefly, then turned back to the oven where she was preparing dinner.

"Oh, this. I asked Daisy to give it to Mack to sign. She must’ve been distracted and put it in the documents for you. Don’t worry, I’ll send it to him again," she replied, tasting the sauce. She added some sweet pepper.

Coulson tilted his head and fixed the glasses that slipped off his nose. "You… You want to come back to the field?"

"I do, yes. That's what's written in the application you’re holding, silly."

"And you didn’t tell me about it."

Melinda covered the pot and turned toward him leaning on the countertop, sensing the seriousness in his voice. She shrugged, watching him closely. "There was nothing to talk about," she said.

"I think there was, actually."

"Alright, then. Phil, I’m going to go back to the field. Happy now?" She smiled gently, but when Phil didn't return the gesture, she frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "What’s up with you?"

"I don't want you to go back to work," he said, putting down the papers and also crossed his arms. May raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Why not? You’re really angry that I didn’t tell you about applying for reinstatement to the field?"

"It’s not about the application," he sighed.

"Then about what?"

"About that you know how dangerous it is in the field. And we have a daughter now."

"Who’s not a little baby anymore."

"Which doesn’t mean she doesn’t need both of her parents."

"She’s almost six, Phil. You really thought I would give up my job in S.H.I.E.L.D. for good?"

"You don't have to give it up right away. But you can do something else."

"What for example?"

"Train the younger agents. You were good at it and you liked it."

"Yeah, I did, but it's not the same as field work, and you know that. I miss this."

"It didn't seem to be a problem for you before," he snorted quietly under his breath.

Melinda, however, heard him well. She took a step toward him and looked at him angrily. "What exactly was _that_ supposed to mean?"

"That you seemed to enjoy paperwork before, because you spend seven years with it, and apparently you didn’t miss your previous job at all."

May took a sharp breath in. Suddenly, her wide opened eyes become hurt.

_Oh, God._

Phil realized what he had really said when it was too late to turn back time and erase his last words.

No, no, no. It wasn’t suppose to be like that.

"May, I…" he started, taking a step towards her, but she backed away quickly. She looked at him with so much pain and a feeling of betrayal in her eyes, that his heart twisted painfully inside his chest.

"You’re really comparing my return to the field with the situation after Bahrain," she whispered in disbelief. She curled up in herself, looking like a wounded animal in a cage. " _You,_ of all the people."

Phil swallowed the bumb that had formed in his throat. "Melinda, please, I didn't mean to…" He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she jumped away from him as if burnt.

"Just… Leave me alone," she said without looking at him, and left the kitchen. He could hear her footsteps as she climbed the stairs and then the slamming of their bedroom door.

He sank heavily onto a chair, taking off his glasses, and buried his face in his hands. What had he done? He used her greatest weakness against her and, though not wanting it, hurt her in the worst way possible.

At that moment he felt like the worst husband and man in the whole world. He propably was.

He decided to respect her request and leave her alone for a while. He put on a jacket, called for Rogers and left the house with him. He was walking with the dog for over an hour before he returned. The fresh air did him good. He could calm down and think about what had happened.

"May, I’m back!" he called as he entered the house. He undressed, then went to the living room, kitchen and then dining room, but the woman wasn't there. "Melinda? I'm an asshole, I'm sorry. Talk to me, please. Where are you?"

The house, however, seemed completely empty. Worried, he went upstairs. She wasn't in their bedroom, either. When he opened the door of Melissa's room and found none of them there, his heart went up to his throat. He searched the house a few more times, but his attempts were for nothing.

His wife and daughter were gone.


	28. 28. Apology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said before, today's chapter is a continuation of the previous one. Hope you'll like it, enjoy!

"Hello?" a voice said on the other side of the line.

"Where is she?" Phil asked, not greeting or trying for a friendly tone.

Daisy sighed on the other side. "I’m not sure if she wants…"

"I didn’t ask if she wants to see me," he cut her off. "I asked where she is."

He knew that Daisy was the person Melinda trusted the most, and that she was the first May would ask for help. She wasn’t answering calls from him, but Phil knew she had to contact someone. Apart from him, there was no one else for her to inform about her plans.

It's been an hour since Coulson found the house empty. He was getting out of his mind with worry. Melinda had never left home without a word for so long before, let alone bring Melissa with her. But again, this wasn’t a normal situation. She got attacked by a person whom she would expect as the last one to do such a stupid thing. With each passing moment his guilt was consuming him more and more. He was nervous and all he wanted now was to see his wife and daughter. To fix everything.

"Coulson, I really shouldn’t…"

"She’s with you, isn’t she?" he asked again. Daisy was silent, which was an answer itself. "Send a quinjet for me, please," he said and hung up, not giving the girl a chance to speak. He knew he was acting like an asshole, but he couldn't help it. The most important thing right now was to apologize to May, he’ll apologize to Daisy later. _Idiot_.

When after another hour he was finally in the base, he didn't care about the agents' suprised looks as he walked quickly down the corridor, heading for the only place May could be in. Arriving at the door of her former room, he knocked briefly, and then entered without waiting for an invitation.

They were both there. Their daughter was sleeping peacefully on Melinda's old bed, covered with a blanket, hugging her teddy bear. The woman was sitting on the floor next to the bed, stroking the girl's head. And although she was sitting back to him and the room was dim, Phil could see her small body shaking with sobs. The sight made tears well up in his own eyes.

He approached her slowly, and when she didn’t react, he knelt beside her and pulled her as close to him as possible. She didn't fight him. She leaned against him, tired, and cried. And though she was doing it almost soundlessly, careful not to wake Melissa, Phil could feel her tears quickly soak his shirt. He closed his eyes, kissed her on top of her head and began to stroke her hair, rocking her in his arms like a child. And she was crying.

"I’m sorry," he whispered through his own tears. "I love you so much, Melinda. Please, forgive me. I’m sorry."

In response, she only hid in his embrace even more, becoming as small as never before. Too small to hold the weight of all the horrible things that happened to her in her life.

Phil promised himself that he would never hurt her in any way again, and will do everything in his power to protect her.

Even from himself.


	29. 29. Pillow fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's almost the end. I just can't believe how fast it went, but I'm also happy I got to write it and share with you all. I've been working hard on this story, and it become my baby, so I'm really glad you like it.  
> Enjoy today's chapter guys. And of course, happy AoS day (can't wait for all of the philinda stuff skskss)!

"Mommy, daddy. The sun woke up already."

Coulson sighed heavily at hearing his daughter's voice just above his head and rolled over to the other side. It was Sunday, the last day before May leaving for her first mission, due to her return to work. They were going to spend it together doing nothing at all and maybe get up a little bit later than usual. Melissa, apparently, had her own completely different plans.

Without opening his eyes, Phil nudged Melinda in the shoulder. She groaned in response. "Your child is up," he said.

"It’s your child, too," Melinda murmured, also not opening her eyes yet and not planning on getting out of bed any time soon.

"She needs her mother more than her father."

"Since when?"

"Since today."

"I’ll remind you that you said it when the time’s right." They fell silent for a moment and Coulson began to drift to sleep again. Before he did, however, he heard a blow and felt May rise on the mattress. "Hey!"

He opened his eyes and rose slightly on his elbows, surprised. He noticed Melissa throwing a pillow at him at the last moment. He didn't catch it and it hit him in the face, just like it hit May a moment ago. The girl giggled, covering her mouth with her small hands.

"Oh, you little beast."

He grabbed the pillow and threw it back to Melissa, making the girl almost fall over. She quickly threw the pillow away, this time towards May. Melinda grabbed two and threw them both at the same time. That's how the pillow fight began. Pillows were flying all over the bedroom, and their loud laughter spreading not only throughout the room, but the whole house.

When the pillow battle was over and all of their stomachs were hurting from laughter, Phil picked up Melissa and put her on the bed between him and Melinda. He kissed each of his girls on the top of their heads and moved closer, so that he could hug them both.

He smiled to himself, knowing that memories like this one would help him survive May's absence and make it more bearable. He’ll be holding his princesses back in his arms before he can even think about it. It’s going to be alright.


	30. 30. Missing each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the last chapter of my 30 day OTP challenge story. I just wanted to thank you all for reading and leaving comments and kudos, because it means so much to me and it's such a great feeling knowing that someone actually likes your work. Thank you for being here with me, for supporting me, and enjoying Philinda becoming a real family with their two daughters as much as I did. I love you all and hope that you'll be checking on my another stories from time to time, because even when season 7 is over, the show still lives in our hearts and the characters' adventures will keep on going as long as we, fanfiction writers, have ideas and share them with each other here, or the other social media. After all, part of the journey is the end, right?  
> So thank you again, I'm so happy you liked the story and I hope you'll enjoy the last part of it. Love you guys, Alice.

"Good morning," Daisy said, entering the kitchen and rubbing her still sleepy eyes. Phil finished his coffee and put a cup in the machine for one more.

"Good morning, Daisy. Want some coffee?" he asked.

"Yes, please." Daisy sat on a chair at the kitchen table and began watching Coulson take her favorite cup out of the cupboard. She was living in their house for several days now. She offered to keep Phil and Melissa company while May was gone for a mission. He agreed, knowing that it would be difficult for him while his wife was away, especially that they hadn’t separated for so long since their daughter’s bitrh. "How long are you up?"

"An hour, maybe two," he answered with a shrug and put a cup of steaming coffee in front of Daisy. "I couldn’t sleep."

The girl looked at him with empathy in her eyes. "She can take care of herself, Coulson, you don't have to worry about her so much. She must’ve kicked all of their asses there by now," she blinked and took a sip of the drink.

He sighed, reaching for his cup. "I know. I just miss her, you know."

"I get it, Liss and I miss her, too. But May will be back any day now. I think we can survive some more time without her, right?" The corners of his mouth lifted slightly upwards.

"I think so."

After a few minutes they heard the patter of small feet upstairs and then on the hall. Melissa ran into the kitchen barefoot in her panda pajamas.

"Hi, daddy! Hi, Daisy!" she said, and then hugged her dad and older sister.

"Hello, Liss!"

"Good morning, sweetie," Phil kissed his daughter on the cheek. "What would you like to eat for breakfast?"

The girl thought for a moment. "Waffles, with whipped cream."

"Oh, yes. Waffles are a great idea," Daisy joined. Phil laughed.

"Okay, then, let’s eat waffles. But I’ll need some help with making them. Meilin, dear, could you…"

Before he could finish, there was a sudden sound of a key turning in the lock and opening the front door.

Phil and Daisy froze, and Melissa's eyes widened with excitement. She ran to the door almost as fast as an arrow.

"Mommy! You’re back!"

"Meilin! Hello, my beautiful baby girl! I missed you so much!"

Phil's face lit up with a wide smile.

Melinda came back home, and everything was alright again.


End file.
